1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a backplane connector having an improved conductive outer shield for engaging with inner shielding plates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture of computers and various other electronic assemblies, daughter boards are commonly connected to mother boards by an electrical connector such as backplane connector. U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,877, issued on Mar. 12, 2002, discloses a backplane connector having an external shield and a plurality of inner shielding plates for reducing crosstalk. A plurality of horizontal eyelets are disposed on an inner surface of the external shield. Each inner shielding plate has a transverse section, a pair of notches located on the transverse section, and a pair of vertical latches extending into the notches and inserting into the horizontal eyelets of the external shield. In this manner, the inner shielding plates are fixed onto the external shield. It would be complicated to assemble the inner shielding plates to the external shield.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,618, issued on Jul. 18, 1995, discloses a backplane connector having an external shield defining a plurality of longitudinal slots. The backplane connector also comprises a plurality of inner shielding plates each provided with an extension coupling with the longitudinal slot and projecting beyond a rear surface of the external shield. It is difficult to withstand electrical interference for the inner shielding plates. Additionally, the engagement between the inner shielding plate and the external shield is not reliable, since the extensions project beyond the external shield to have a collision easily.
Hence, an improved electrical connector is needed to solve the above problem.